The Comedy of Errors: The 5.6.7.8’s - Ah-So (8 May 1992)

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I don’t know whether John Peel saw Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) before he died.  My guess is probably not given his previous comments on his film watching.  But if he did, I like to imagine him giving an exclamation of surprise when he saw the house band at The House of Blue Leaves, especially given the fact that he had played them on his show for the first time 11 years before the film was released.

The 5.6.7.8’s are a Japanese, female rock trio who have spent the last 30 years specialising in surf-rock, rockabilly and garage rock covers and pastiches.  Imagine The White Stripes if they were fronted by a Jacqueline White and rocked out in evening dress and mule heels.  For all that the immature can snigger at talk of “fantastic lock and loll”, these girls can play with affection, energy and force to not only match their inspirations - in this instance, a 1958 instrumental by The Highlights - but surpass them: beat for beat, riff for riff.
With these influences, it was inevitable they would find their way to Peel and that he would fall for them.  He confessed that he had missed their first couple of releases including the 1988 album, Golden Hits of The 5.6.7.8’s (featuring a cover of Peter Gunn naturally), but intended to make up for lost time now.



Videos courtesy of xTxRamoneS04 (5.6.7.8’s) and Andrea Soriano (Highlights)